Short-range effects and magnetization reversal in Co$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$ thin films: a MOKE magnetometry/domain imaging and AMR study

TL;DR

This study combines MOKE magnetometry, domain imaging, and AMR measurements to analyze magnetization reversal mechanisms and anisotropy in CoFe thin films.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-technique approach to simultaneously investigate magnetization processes, anisotropy, and short-range effects in CoFe thin films.

Findings

Uniaxial anisotropy is observed during CoFe deposition.

Domain wall motion and moment rotation are identified as dominant processes.

AMR measurements reveal dependence on spin disorder and magnetization angle.

Abstract

A MOKE magnetometry unit simultaneously sensitive to both in-plane magnetization components, based on an intensity differential detection method, allows us to observe the uniaxial anisotropy impressed during CoFe-deposition and to discriminate the magnetization processes under a magnetic field parallel and perpendicular to such axes. Our MOKE imaging unit, using a CCD camera for Kerr effect domain visualization provides direct evidence on the dominant M-processes, namely domain wall motion and moment rotation. Further magnetic information was obtained by AMR measurements due to the dependence of the electrical resistivity on the short-range spin disorder and also on the angle between the electrical current direction (I) and the spontaneous magnetization ($\emph{\textbf{M}}_{S}$).